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Hiking in Devils Canyon

Devils Canyon - even the name sounds dangerous. Even after we hiked in the depths of this canyon, we don't know what was the reason for this name. Were it the many stands of Poison Ivy? The thorny vegetation that surrounds the hiker whenever he leaves the creekbed? Or just the rock formations sitting on top of the canyon walls, which may look like devilish guardians in the moonlight? Nevertheless, it was not an easy trip.

Actually we planned a weekend trip. But since the weather forecast was rather bad, we changed it into a day hike. We, that's Matt, Drew, Amy, and myself. And since we should be on the trail for only one day, we once again postponed the more extreme canyoning trip into the Salome Jug to a later date, and decided to do only Devils Canyon, east of Superior, this Sunday. The plan was to enter the canyon somewhere in the middle through a little side canyon, and then to follow the creekbed downstream to the "Five Pools", which we wanted to cross by rappelling, swimming, and climbing. However, we didn't even make it to this side canyon, since the road was flooded up to a point that even a jeep had some difficulties. Hence we left Drew's car, a normal passenger vehicle, close to Oak Flat Campground, and started by foot. At this point we were still far away from Devils Canyon itself.

The first part, following an unpaved road until we can turn right on a path which leads down to the canyon bottom, is an easy stroll. But while descending this little path to the bottom of the canyon, we already have to fight against thorny brush. Upon arrival at the canyon bottom we realize two things: First, there is no trail, which means we have to walk either through the thorny brush or hike along the creek. Second, the creek is full of water, meaning that even the second possibility will be rather difficult. The first creek crossing needs already several minutes: While Matt is just running through the water and doesn't care about wet shoes, the rest of us is still trying to keep their feet as dry as possible by stepping on rocks in the water. This works only for a short part of the trip, and the progress along the creekbed for the rest of the day is rather slow because of the permanent exchange from hiking boots to sandals and back.

We experience the easiest creek crossing in some narrows of Devils Canyon, where the water is compressed to a 20 inch wide bed, where it forms a little waterfall and shows a very strong current. Here it is possible to cross the creek just with a big step. Below this point there are some nice pools, also connected with each other through some waterfalls, which makes this a beautiful place to rest for about 20 minutes.

Another reason for our slow progress in the canyon is the fact that we also have to climb a bit, especially in the narrow sections. However, this canyon is still somewhat wild and remote, despite its vicinity to Phoenix. A trail can be found only in short patches, but the advantage is that you may hike in this canyon for hours without meeting anybody (we haven't seen any other person while in the canyon), and are able to enjoy some solitude. On the other hand, this wildness makes it eventually impossible for us to reach the Five Pools as planned (at least if we want to return the same day), and at some point we realize that we will not need our rope and harnesses today. However, we continue further downstream for a while, because even without this rappelling experience the canyon is still very interesting. At the rim far above we can see some rock formations, which look devilish in some sense (or at least I can imagine that they would look devilish in the moonlight ...) and may have given this canyon its name. At the canyon bottom, on the other hand, there is a cool, lush riparian forest, and its local climate is a strong contrast compared the the thorny brush and the heat of the desert hundred feet higher on the slope leading to the canyon walls.

At some arbitrary point we turn around and head back. While jumping over a few small boulders, my feet got stuck between some rocks, and I start to fall. However, my fall was stopped by the encounter of my nose with a tree, which made this part of the hike a somewhat bloody experience. On our way back we take a slightly different route (it is just impossible to find exactly the same path we have used going down the canyon), which requires one very deep creek crossing. And suddenly Amy, who is a few inches smaller that the rest of our group, disappears up to her hip in the cold water. Somewhat later, when we climb out of the canyon, it's already late afternoon and a bit breeezy, making us happy that we made it back to the car before sunset.

Even if we did not come to the point which was the original destination, we enjoyed the trip along this water-filled canyon very much. However, if you plan to go there, try to use all available daylight for your hike (i.e. start early), since progress in the canyon may be very slow.

Photos from this trip
Topographic map (TopoZone)
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